I use a food scale and weight out my flours rather than measure out in a cup.

I found this recipe in Phil Vickery's Gluten-Free Baking, he calls it Basic Flour Mix A. In that book Vickery limits the uses of this mix to cakes and cookies (I think) but I honestly love it for most of my applications rather than spending tons of money buying a pre-made all purpose mix. There were some other good recipes in this book so search ISBN: 9781554078110 for your own copy. I borrowed it from my local library and like I said I love this flour mix.

If the recipe calls for an all purpose mix with xantham gum, you can add 1/4 tsp of xantham gum per cup of this flour mix.

I borrowed this book from the library and Phil Vickery has no clue who I am so I have not been compensated for the post at all. I love this flour mix and why spend tons of money on an expensive mix when this one works so well?

I spent $6 on two bags of white rice flour (24 oz each), $4 for one 24 oz potato flour, and $4 for one 24 oz tapioca flour. The potato flour and tapioca flour will both stretch into another batch and you'll only need one bag of rice flour the next time so I think this is pretty thrifty since you get about 7 cups of mix per batch.

Friday, July 11, 2014

So yesterday we had a major milestone for GymGirl; she lost her first tooth. This should have been a happy occasion but instead it ended in tears. You see GymGirl swallowed her tooth! She was eating her frozen gluten-free donut (she prefers them that way) and did not notice the tooth had come loose.
I'm not sure how to feel about the whole thing. One it is funny. She swallowed the tooth! However, this marks the start of kid-hood. She's four and a half! The time has flown. I thought I had more time! She even has a second one that is loose!

Thursday, July 10, 2014

So the discussion of what it means to be a poser has been swirling around me as of late. I think it mostly has to do with the idea of being authentic. If you are living your most authentic life then you don't have a time/need to pose as something you are not. However, if you have never had a "Come to Jesus" talk with yourself then how in the hell do you ever stop posing your life away?

As part of my doctoral journey, I've had to come face to face with some painful truths about myself. I've had to face fears and grow. (I don't like the work change, I prefer to grow like a seed.) I am noticing that many people in my cohort seem to resist growth or at least in calling a spade a spade. I don't tend to use a filter and I speak pretty bluntly. I think many people find me short and cutting but I just don't see the need to bs people.

Anyways, so back to posing. How do you know you are a poser? I mean if you live your life as a hipster what defines you as a hipster instead of a hipster poser? I'm using hipster since according to DH, I am a hipster. This goes to the whole idea of identity. I don't identify as a hipster. I really do prefer pop music with an edge of alternative music. I prefer to homeschool/unschool my child. I shop at goodwill because I'm poor not trendy. I drink my coffee at an independent coffeehouse because my husband owns one. I'm gluten-free because my DD and DH are both allergic to wheat. I don't live a hipster lifestyle in my opinion but if I look up "Hipster-subculture" you might as well put my picture there. So am I poser without even realizing it? Is it possible to be viewed as a poser without even noticing since you are just being your authentic self?

Why the need for labels? Is it an American thing? Do other cultures require labels? In Mexico you are poor or rich. I don't know that outside of social status there are many other labels.

Why pose? Why hide under the clothes of another person? How do you expand your mind without the wearing the clothes of posing at some point? Is posing bad?

I think as some point we all pose. I think of myself in school. I posed as the all-american girl trying hard not to be Mexican, like I could ever out run it. Once I had my "Come to Jesus" talk with myself about my identity I started embracing my Mexican-ness and I can breath better. I don't understand posing as a life-style choice (well as an all-life encompassing life-style choice). Don't it weight you down to carry so many lies? Don't you get tried of running from yourself? Does digging deep into your pain really scare you to the point you would rather die as any person but yourself?

I say play with the sugar and vanilla amounts. I like a sugar cookie-like pancake but I think you make this more savory by changing up the add ins.

Mix up the ingredients. put it on the hot griddle til they are ready.

You might need to add more rice flour if they are too running. Most recipes start you with 1 cup of flour but that ratio seems to running for gf pancakes. This recipe gave me fluffy pancakes which is what I missed most from regular pancakes. Enjoy!

The pancake on the left had 1 1/2 cups of flour and the one on the left only had 1 cup.

Monday, July 7, 2014

So this week's topic is strength training and I'll be honest I usually avoid it. I'm not confident I know what to do and I'm afraid I'll hurt myself. I am also usually alone and I don't think we're suppose lift alone.

Okay with my excuses aside, I do try to lift dumbbells and I have the Mamavation 2-week challenges to thank for the confidence and routine. I keep the Mama Guns routine as my go to for lifting and when I started I struggled with 15 lbs weights and now I'm up to 20 without much problem.

I do have an idea in my mind that I would love to be strong enough to do an unassisted pull up. I know I can build strength and I just need to commit to building my strength to reach my goals. I'm toying with the idea of setting up a few private training sessions so I can set up a strength building routine that will lead to my goal. Right now I'm toning up and I can see a real change. My arms are looking great but now I"m up for the challenge of building some major muscle power!

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

So I have been taking the stairs instead of the elevator! My office is on the fourth floor and I'm slowly keeping my breath more and more. The first day I lost my breath on the second floor. Now I'm good until the 3rd floor. I'm recovering pretty quickly but recovery has never really been a problem. I have no clue why I seem to sweat like a pig and lose my breath very easily and then recover in 30 seconds flat. It makes me feel like I don't workout hard enough but then I push until I can't push and still recover quickly. I've lost 2lbs since making the switch to the stairs and my ass is getting rounder so this is a total win-win for me :)

Anyways, I conquered the high ropes the week before last. I tried all three challenges and I only fell off of one! I didn't really fall off, I just could not find a way to stand up on the pole for the leap of faith so I just let go. The hardest part of the whole thing was on the first challenge were I was reaching from vine to vine and suddenly the whole ropes course started to shake. I just knew I was going to fall. I held fast! I was shaken as much as humanly possible at the moment. Shaking and 30 feet in the air and I held fast. I'm taking that lesson into my life in general. I can survive anything! I can be shaken and I can survive!